Fire gridlocks Sydney

A massive blaze at Sydney's Barangaroo development site brought the city to a standstill

Transcript

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Emergency crews in Sydney are keeping a close watch tonight on a construction site crane amid fears it might collapse after a fire.

The fire brought the city to a halt and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people.

Jason Om reports.

JASON OM, REPORTER: It's been burning since 2 o'clock and has cast a pall across Sydney's skyline. It began in a basement at the Barangaroo development, soon to be home to James Packer's casino.

IAN KRIMMER, FIRE & RESCUE NSW: You can see a number of fixed hose lines pouring large amounts of water onto the metalwork in the base of that crane to keep it cool. We also have firefighters working in that basement area. Now it's a life-threatening situation underground. The temperatures cannot sustain human life.

JASON OM: The intensity of flames and heat eventually forced crews to pull back. The threat of the crane coming down forced the closure of the Western Distributor, which connects to the Harbour Bridge.

500 construction workers had to take refuge, while 2,000 people in nearby buildings were evacuated.

DANIEL LABBAD, LEND LEASE: We can confirm that all workers are safe and have been accounted for.

JASON OM: It's the second Sydney crane fire involving the company Lend lease. In 2012, this crane collapsed at a university site after its diesel tank caught fire. The cause of the latest drama is thought to be a welding accident.

JOHN WATSON, WORKCOVER AUTHORITY OF NSW: We've got investigators on the scene now and we're waiting for the site to be cleared for us to be able to conduct a full and thorough investigation.

JASON OM: Late today, temperatures around the fire dropped from 1,000 degrees to 45, allowing crews to move back in and tackle the seat of the blaze.

Engineers will later inspect the crane for safety and decide whether it should be taken down.

Authorities are warning that Sydneysiders could face delays tomorrow morning because some roads may still be closed.

Jason Om, Lateline.

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